Meat-cutter



(No Model.)

0- D- WOODRUFF.

MEAT CUTTER.

No. 352,023. Patented Nov. 2A, v'1886.

N. PUERS, Molo-limognnphar, Wnthngom D4 C.

UNITED STATns PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER D. ,WOODRUFE OF sOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

M EAT-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pat-ent No. 352,023, dated November 2, 1886. Application filed J une 1, 1886. Serial No. 203,753. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, OLIVER D. WOODRUFF,

a citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Southington, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meat-Cutters, of which the following is 'a specification.

My invention relates to the class of meatcutters used for mincing meat or cutting into comparatively small fragments `pieces or masses of similarly-yielding substances.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of this class, that shall be few in the number of its parts, simplen arrangement, and more effective in-its operation when compared with prior machines of its class of like size.

In the accompanyings drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in central vertical section of t-he casing and in side view of the feed-screw. Fig. 3 is a view in crosssection of the device on a plane passing through the cutters and denoted by line m x of Fig. l. Fig. 4. is a view in cross-section of the device on a plane denoted by line y y `of Fig. l, showing the method of securing the knives in dovetailed sockets. Fig. 5 is a view in plan of the lower half of the main body of the casing, showing the arrangement of the ribs and the longitudinal knife; and-Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the conical head, showing the camgroove and peripheral knives.

Inthe accompanying drawings, the letter c denotes the casing of the machine, which casing is made up of two parts, a. and a. The part a has an inlet through the hopper b, near one end of the casing. A series of ribs, c, ex

- tend from end to end upon the inner 'curved wall of part a'. These ribs are preferably flattened and merge intoj the surface of the wall just in front of the edge of thecutt'er d. This cutter is seated in a socket in the inner wall of part a and is held within it by the screw d', by means of which the edge of the cutter is held adjusted with reference to the periphery of the feed-screw e. It will be noticed that the parts of the ribs c which stand transversely to the case are slightly inclined toward the delivery end, while the connecting parts extend longitudinally with the case, giving the appearance of steps. By this peculiar form the meat, when brought in contact with the thread of the feed-screw, is more rapidly fed along and cut into pieces by the cutter d preparatory to entering the cam-groove in the conical head at the end of the feedscrew. The steps in the rib may be either coarse or fine. In the end wall, ai, of part a a bearing is formed that supports the shaft e', upon which the feed-screw c is supported.

The casing as awhole resembles two truncated cones joined at their bases, the longer cone being the part ct', above described, and the shorter one consisting of the part a2, the two parts being preferably secured together means of a screw-thread although any other well-known means or method may be employed. The part adl is preferably made conical to facilitate the adjusting of the knives.

The outer end of the part t2 has an opening that forms the bearing for the other end of the feed-screw shaft e. The feed-screw conforms in general outline to the frusto-conical interior part, u', of the casing, the outer end of which screw has a shoulder, e, that prevents the movement of the feed-screw toward the hopper.

A`spiral thread is formed on the feed-screw and the pitch of the thread varies, causing a like variation in the groove between the threads from the hopper to the outlet end of the casing. Beyond the termination of the feedscrew e and connecting therewith is a coni cal head having a cam-groove to receive the substance -from the feed-screw e. Upon the outer surface of this conical head are secured the peripheral knives g, arranged lengthwise and inclined to their axes. The cutting-edges of these knives are preferably slightly raised, so as to touch the under surface of the-perforated conical shell of part a? without having any other part coming in contact therewith. These knives bridge the cam-groove, which forms an opening turning substantially at right angles to the axis of the feed-screw, although the threadis carried out so as to connect its groove with the camgrogye, as denoted at f2. Surrounding-these peripheral knives g, which may be of any convenient number, is a conical shell perforated with the delivery-holes h', the edges of which form cutters that are opposed to the knives g in the cutting of the material by the rotating of the knives and feed-screw.

IOO

This conical shell is made, preferably, of thin" tool-steel bent to shape and secured by means of rivets to the annular ends of the part c or a single casting of steel ormalleable iron.

In making the device, the inclined knives g are preferably secured by inelining the opposite edges and forcing them into dovetailed sockets in the feed-screw, although other ordinary means of securing the knives in place may of course be adopted.4 The knives having been secured in place, the cutting-edges g' of the knives are turned or ground so that they are equidistant from the axis ofthe feedscrew, the proper clearance being made back of the cutting-edge.

I do not limit myself to any particular method of forming this conical shell, the feature of my improvement in this regard being the peculiar arrangement of itin part a of the machine and opposed to the peripheral knives borne upon the rotary feed-screw.

The delivery-holes 7L. can be multiplied indefinitely and the capacity of the machine thereby increased by extending the conical head and shell, while at the same time the delivery-holes will not be any farther from the axis. Consequently the cutter will do this increased work without materially increasing the power to operate it.

I am aware that prior patents show meatcutters operated by a feed-screw having radial knives in connection with a perforated disk which delivers the product horizontally, and the same are hereby diselaimed. In such a construction only alimited number of deliveryholes can be made without forming said holes so far from the axis of the feed-screw as in use to resist the movement thereof with greater leverage.

4In order to bring the cutting-edges of the opposed knives g and L close together to cut properly, the part ci is screwed upon part a until the edges are brought close together,when the stop device 13, which consists of the pawl pivoted to the body part of the casing, with its end adapted to engage the ratchet formed in the edge ofthe other part, a2, so that when the latterY has been screwed onto the part a the ,end of the pawl may be set against a tooth of the ratchet to prevent unscrewing.

A feature of my improvement in regard to the feed-screw consists in forming the groove with a steep pitch upon the side toward the outlet of the machine, as shown at j, with a more gradual slope upon the other side of the groove.

I claim as niyinvention* l 1. In a meat-cutter, the combination, with a casing having interior ribs interrupted by a lengthwise knife secured within the casing, of a rotary feed-screw siipported within the casing, and bearing knives that co-operate with openings in the casing at the outlet thereof, all substantially as described.

2. The combination of a casing made in two parts lengthwise, one part having an inlet and interior ribs and the other having an outlet, and a feed-screw supported within the casing having a conical head bearing lengthwise knives inclined to the axis of said head and (1o-operating with a perforated conical shell on the other part of the casing, all substantially as described.

3. The combination of a easing iliade in two parts lengthwise, the one part having an inlet and interior ribs, the other part being conical, and having holes whose edges form cutters when acted upon by knives within said part and adjustable on the other part, to bring the cutting-edges of the holes andinternal knives together, and a rotary feed-screw supported within the casing, all substantially as described.

4. The combination of the part a', having an inlet and interior ribs, a conical part, a2, threaded to fit upon the part a', a stop device secured to the easing and limiting the movement ofone partupon the other, agroovcd feed-screw having connected therewith a conical head that bears knives inclined to the axis of said head, and a perforated shell in the body part a2, all substantially as described.

5. In a meat-cutter, the combination of the casing made in two parts lengthwise and having an inlet and outlet, the conical perforated shell in the outer part of the casing surrounding knives, and the feeding mechanism within the inlet part of the casing, all substantially as described.

6. The combination of a casing having inner ribs and an inlet and outlet, a rotary feed-screw having a groove of varying pitch from the hopper to the outlet end of the feedscrew, a conical head having the cam-groove, the inclined knives that bridge said eamgroove, and a cone-shaped perforated shell, the edges of the holes of which form cutters that co-operate with the knives that bridge said cam-groove, all substantially as described.

7. The combination of a casing having interior ribs and an inlet and outlet, a rotary feed-screw supported within the casing, and having a groove with a steeper surface on the side of the thread toward the outlet of the casing than on the side toward the inlet, and a 115 conical head having a cam-groove, the inclined knives that bridge said groove, and a coneshaped perforated shell with openings having cutting-edges, all substantially as described.

8. rlhe combination of a casing made in two parts lengthwise, one part having an inlet and interior ribs and the other part being cone-shaped and bearing at the outlet peripheral knives, a rotary feed-screw within one part of the casing, the conical head in the other part of said casing, and the inclined knives extending across the grooves of said head, all substantially as described.

9.. The combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet and composed of two parts lengthwise, a rotary feed-screw supported within the casing and having a conical head, said feed-screw havinga shoulder that by contact with the other part of the case prevents lengthwise play of the feed-screw, and inclined knives borne on the conical head at the end of the feed-screvnwhose thread is carried out to connect its groove with the cam-groove of the head, all substantially as described.

10. The combination of the casing part a', having an inlet, b, interior ribs c, a lengthwise knife, d, for cutting the material into pieces preparatory to entering the cam-groove, conicalpart az, secured to the other part by a screwthread, a stop device consisting of apawl borne on one part of the casing and with its outer end opposed. to the ratchet on the part a2, a perforated conical shell in the part a2, a rotary feed-screw supported in the casing and having a lengthwise groove, and a conical head having cam-groove and bearing inclined knives that bridge said groove and co-operate with the knife on the casing, all substantially as described.

11. The combination of a casing having an A an inlet and outlet end composed of two parts lengthwise, of. a rotary feed-screw supported Within the casing and fitting loosely in the.

conical part of the casing, and having ashoulder that bycontact with the casing prevents lengthwise play of the feed-screw, the conical head at the end of said feed-screw, and inclined knives borne on the conical head, said knives having their .cutting edges slightly raised above the periphery of the conical head, all

Y substantially as described. y

12. In a meat-cutter, the combination of a feed-screw, a head rotated with saidfeed-screw and bearing peripheral knives, and a case having peripheral openings, substantially as described, and for the purpose speciiied.

13. In a meat-cutter, the combination of a feed-screw, a head rotated with said screw and bearing peripheral knives, a case having peripheral openings, and the longitudinal knife affixed to the case, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

14. In a meatcutter, the combination of a case having interior ribs composed of short inclined and longitudinal portions in the form of steps, substantially as shown, a feed-screw, and cutting mechanism at or beyond the end of the feed-screw, said feed-screw and ribs being vadapted to feed the material to said cutting mechanisnnsubstantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

15. In a meat-cutter, the combination of a feed-screw, a head rotated with said feed-screw and having a cam-groove which opens into the groove of the`feed-screw, and peripheralv knives bridging said cam-groove, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

v OLIVER D. WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

A. J. SLOPER, JAs. H. FLOWER.A v 

